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Alumni wind up in Traer for milestone class reunions

Alumna Donna Wolfgram proudly marks 75 years

Members of the Traer High School Class of 1956 celebrated their 70th reunion at this year’s Winding Stairs Festival during the Alumni Reunion Banquet held Saturday evening, Aug. 8, at the Memorial Building. From left, David Draper, Robert Joens, Richard Engel, Carol (Antonsen) DeWall, Maralyn (Calderwood) Burkhart, and Marilyn (Kostlan) Staveley Peterson. PHOTO BY SEAN DENGLER
Proudly celebrating 75 years since graduation, alumna and special guest Donna Wolfgram from the Traer High School Class of 1951 was in attendance for the Alumni Reunion Banquet on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Traer Memorial Building. PHOTO BY SEAN DENGLER
Members of the Traer High School Class of 1961 celebrated their 65th reunion at this year’s Winding Stairs Festival during the Alumni Reunion Banquet held Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Memorial Building. Those pictured include (front row, from left) Pat (Earley) Moore, Marcella (Podhajsky) Pults, Deanna (Vesely) Joebgen, Mary (Fleming) Schultz, Adrienne (Cooper) Nelson; and (back row) Gary Burrows. PHOTO BY SEAN DENGLER
Members of the North Tama High School School Class of 1966 celebrated their 60th reunion at this year’s Winding Stairs Festival during the Alumni Reunion Banquet held Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Memorial Building. Those pictured in the front row include, from left, Judy (Hulme) Zmolek, Joyce Paustian, Linda (Papesh) Pearson, Gail (Hushak) Konicek, Marcia (Hite) Cifaldo, Jean (Stark) McCarty, Janice (Pecenka) Palmer, Judy (Yuska) Barnard, and Joleen (Holst) Edwards. Pictured back row, from left, Dwayne Konicek, Chuck Buresh, James Dvorak, Larry Smith, and Bill Schrier. PHOTO BY SEAN DENGLER
Members of the North Tama High School School Class of 1971 celebrated their 55th reunion at this year’s Winding Stairs Festival during the Alumni Reunion Banquet held Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Memorial Building. Those pictured in the front row include, from left, Diane (Chalupsky) Goforth, Jane (Hoeppner) Seeley, Marilyn (Kokesh) Svoboda, Janice (Sell) Vesely, Jan (Stevenson) Hoppe, Laurie (Claussen) Wright, Gayle (Fehr) Kucera, Dan Kubik, and Doug Kostlan. Pictured back row, from left, Larry Peters, Mike Clark, David Kucera, Craig Herink, Kevin Pokorny, Ron Paustian, and Dennis Kucera. PHOTO BY SEAN DENGLER
Members of the North Tama High School School Class of 1971 celebrated ahead of the official Saturday evening banquet with a Friday (Aug. 7) night meet-up. Those pictured seated in the front row include, from left, Marilyn (Kokesh) Svoboda, LuAnn (Schmidt) Hatton, Kay (Wiese) Munson, Eleanor (Kucera) Mack, and Terry Boldt. Standing at the end of the first row (right side), Cindy (Wolfgram) Holen, Jan (Stevenson) Hoppe, and Jane (Hoeppner) Seeley. Pictured standing in the second row, from left, Gwen (Whannel) Seda, Diane (Chalupsky) Goforth, Gayle (Fehr) Kucera, Lori (Logan) Richter, Janice (Sell) Vesely, Dan Kubik, and Doug Kostlan. Pictured standing in the back row, from left, Van Weber, Kevin Pokorny, Craig Herink, Bill Harrington, Dennis Kucera, Larry Peters, Randy Krezek, Mike Seda, Ron Paustian, Mike Clark, Craig Konicek, and Laurie (Claussen) Wright. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Members of the North Tama High School School Class of 1976 – America’s Bicentennial class! – celebrated their 50th reunion at this year’s Winding Stairs Festival during the Alumni Reunion Banquet held Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Memorial Building. Those pictured in the front row include, from left, Darcy Parizek, Leann (Claussen) Goldsmith, Valerie (Martin) Suchomel, Denise (Hulme) Wrage, Nancy (Ewoldt) Patterson, Nancy (Yuska) Dvorak, Julie (Hoeg) Cufr, Nancy (Caslavka) Hubbard, and Lisa (Dinsdale) Revord. Pictured back row, from left, LuAnn (Lenth) Roth, Jeff O’Kones, Scott Fleming, Doug Mundt, Craig Dinsdale, Betty (Kucera) Devine, Bill Babinat, Kennan Seda, Kelly (Barfels) DeLaughter, Anne (Svoboda) Ausdemore, and John Schrier. PHOTO BY SEAN DENGLER
Members of the North Tama High School School Class of 1981 celebrated their 45th reunion at this year’s Winding Stairs Festival during the Alumni Reunion Banquet held Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Memorial Building. Those pictured in the front row include, from left, Janice (Ohrt) Heath, Glenn Babinat, Deb (Svoboda) Epp, Carri Holst, Tammy (Lyons) Herink, Annette Knoop, and Scott Kern. Pictured back row, from left, Ed Hoeg, Sam Kvidera, Neil Whannel, Tony Weida, Sylvester Upah, Tom Ewoldt, and John Kopriva. PHOTO BY SEAN DENGLER
Those attending the North Tama Class of 1986 reunion this year included Andrea (Earley) Bean, Brad Dostal, Brett Engel, Shane Franklin, Marc Harrington, Curtis Hassman, Jodi (Holst) Hillman, Russell Hulme, Michelle (Mason) Isenhower, Michelle (Powell) Podhajsky, Mary (Pokorny) Masten, David Mauderer, Cheryl (Buchholtz) Ness, Deanna (Hulme) Savre, Chris Schafer, Scott Schellhase, Christine (Manfull) Schirm, Kim Sheda, Regina (Svoboda) Smith, Lori (Podhajsky) Speck, Dustan Svoboda, Lori (Phelp) Engstrom, Dave Tobin, Bob Vokoun, and Darcy (Sternberg) Rund. “Still in the Groove After All These Years!” CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
North Tama High School School Class of 2001 alumni Shane Svoboda and Lori (Yuska) Quiazon celebrated their 25th reunion together at this year’s Winding Stairs Festival during the alumni banquet held Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Memorial Building. Go Redhawks! PHOTO BY SEAN DENGLER

TRAER – Eight invited North Tama/Traer classes celebrated milestone reunions Aug. 7-8 as part of the 2026 Winding Stairs Festival, including Traer High School classes of 1956 (70 years) and 1961 (65 years), and the North Tama High School classes of 1966 (60 years), 1971 (55 years), 1976 (50 years), 1981 (45 years), 1986 (40 years), and 2001 (25 years). Additionally, alumna Donna Wolfgram singularly and proudly marked 75 years as a member of Traer High School’s Class of 1951. Per Alumni Reunion Committee Chair Carri Holst, a wonderful weekend was had by all attendees who enjoyed reminiscing with former classmates.